CCHR PRESS
RELEASE – Phnom Penh, 19 December 2012
The Cambodian
Center for Human Rights (“CCHR”) is appalled at the Svay Rieng Provincial
Court’s decision to drop all charges against former Bavet City governor Chhouk
Bandith, yesterday, 18 December 2012.
Chhouk Bandith is the prime suspect in connection with the shooting of
three female garment factory workers during a protest outside the Kaoway Sports
Limited factory in Bavet City on 20 February 2012.
In its Media
Comment dated 20 April 2012 (‘No Justice in
Bandith Country’), CCHR criticized the negligible charges that were then being
brought against Chhouk Bandith – which carry a maximum sentence of two years
and a minimum of as little as six months for what appeared from the video
evidence and the terrible injuries to be nothing less than attempted
murder. It also highlighted the “cloak of impunity that surrounds members of
Cambodia’s political elite who occupy a sphere that is seemingly beyond the
reach of Cambodia’s law enforcement and judicial systems”.
The garment
industry is Cambodia’s largest and most lucrative, and one of its main sources
of foreign income. It employs more
than 450,000 people, the vast majority of whom are women. Germany’s Puma – one of Cambodia’s
biggest and most high profile brand buyers – buys the footwear made by the
Kaoway Sports Limited factory and ships the products to Europe, and Germany and
Italy in particular. Puma has
already tried to distance itself from the violence, saying the day after the
incident that “it doesn’t look good for
Cambodia when this kind of violence is concerned”.
CCHR President Ou Virak comments:
“I am disgusted at the level of
impunity that we are now seeing in Cambodia. This comes so soon after the impunity that surrounded the
murder of Chut Wutty that there is no escaping the conclusion that the courts
are not fit for purpose. Back in
April, I said that the worst case scenario would be if this case was drawn out
in the hope that it is forgotten and Chhouk Bandith never even faces
trial. Well my prediction has come
true, but we have not forgotten.
Unfortunately, Puma have no choice now but to pull out of Cambodia
completely. Otherwise consumers in
Europe will not forgive them, and their brand will be forever stained with the
blood of these poor garment workers.”
For more information, please contact Ou Virak via
telephone at +855 (0) 1240 4051 or e-mail at ouvirak@cchrcambodia.org or Senior Consultant Robert Finch via
telephone at +855 (0) 7880 9960 or e-mail at robert.finch@cchrcambodia.org.
Please also find this Press Release attached in PDF format. A Khmer version will follow shortly.
Kind regards,
CCHR
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